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jasonyates · 06:57 PM

I have an 8500 with a dual-processor card (two 200mhz 604e's), and I am wondering if OS X is going to support it? My copy of X should be here in a week or so, so if no one has any experience with this I will let you guys know by then..

-Jason

MacGorilla · Oct 30, 2002, 05:44 PM

No, it wont work. You'll need at least a G3 upgrade card.

Anomalous · Oct 30, 2002, 05:51 PM

Officially, your system is not supported. However, you might try a utility like XPostFacto.

jdbon · Oct 31, 2002, 01:32 AM

actually people have installed X on 604/e machines. I'm not sure if it will support both processors, however it probably will work using one of them. Check out Xpost facto.

kbata · Oct 31, 2002, 08:48 AM

The card will not work with Jaguar but it should work using previous versions of X. I don't know if you will get the use of both processors. You can pick up a G3 or lower speed G4 card at a reasonable price at OWC or on Ebay.

jasonyates · Oct 31, 2002, 06:56 PM

Originally posted by kbata:
The card will not work with Jaguar but it should work using previous versions of X. I don't know if you will get the use of both processors. You can pick up a G3 or lower speed G4 card at a reasonable price at OWC or on Ebay.

What is the reason that Jaguar won't support it? Hmm, if that is so then it means I will have to find an older version just to appease my curiousity..

I just enjoy messing around with different configurations and trying stuff out. I'm happy with this 8500 now, but it is a bit slower than I was hoping for, so I will probably pick up a G4 upgrade in the near future and see how it works.

-Jason

OpenStep · Oct 31, 2002, 07:47 PM

I've got a Power Mac 9500/180 MP proto with a dual processor Daystar card in it... I'd also be interested to see if OS X would run on it or not. If I have some time this weekend I might try and install 10.2 with Xpostfacto and see if it supports both processors.

milhous · Oct 31, 2002, 11:13 PM

sorry to burst your bubble guys, but it's not going to work because these older dual processor systems are not based on symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), which is what OS X and newer Macs use. you can do a search on this site and other mac sites which will back my claim up.

tooki · Nov 1, 2002, 04:50 PM

Ummm, no.

Whether multiprocessing is symmetric or not is normally a function of the operating system, not the hardware*. (Note that Linux can do SMP in those old MP Macs, although at present, you have to compile a custom kerne to do it.)

So if Apple wanted to make an MP kernel for those old MP Macs, it could, I just don't see it happening.

OpenStep: Jaguar won't work on pre-G3 processors, even with Xpostfacto.

tooki

*Yes, you could put in a second processor in in such a way that it can't be used for SMP, but Apple didn't do that.

pmcd · Nov 2, 2002, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by tooki:

OpenStep: Jaguar won't work on pre-G3 processors, even with Xpostfacto.

tooki

This would seem odd. Do you mean it won't install or won't run once installed (eg. install using a G3/4 chip and then run in native mode)? I've run 10.1.5 on a 604ev in a 8600/300 without and with a G3 card (400MHz). Not much difference in speed actually (the 400MHz processor is faster of course but only by the clock speed).

philip

OreoCookie · Nov 2, 2002, 07:01 PM

Even if it does work, do you think it'll do any good? I've got a 600 MHz iBook and OS X feels slow on this six-month old machine.

Does OS X run on it? I don't know, maybe. Will it be fun to play with it? Nope.

Drizzt · Nov 2, 2002, 07:59 PM

Originally posted by OreoCookie:
Even if it does work, do you think it'll do any good? I've got a 600 MHz iBook and OS X feels slow on this six-month old machine.

Does OS X run on it? I don't know, maybe. Will it be fun to play with it? Nope.

It could make a nice <put in name> server...

spiky_dog · Nov 2, 2002, 08:27 PM

Originally posted by pmcd:
This would seem odd. Do you mean it won't install or won't run once installed (eg. install using a G3/4 chip and then run in native mode)? I've run 10.1.5 on a 604ev in a 8600/300 without and with a G3 card (400MHz). Not much difference in speed actually (the 400MHz processor is faster of course but only by the clock speed).

According to the XPostFacto page Jaguar does not support anything lower than a G3 (whereas 10.1.5 and before did support 604e machines, albeit tacitly).

jasonyates · Nov 3, 2002, 04:52 AM

Originally posted by OreoCookie:
Even if it does work, do you think it'll do any good? I've got a 600 MHz iBook and OS X feels slow on this six-month old machine.

Does OS X run on it? I don't know, maybe. Will it be fun to play with it? Nope.

Well I think it will do some good because the only reason I want to do it is just for kicks anyways. If it accomplishes me messing around with something than it has done some good. You see, I don't use computers for any kind of productivity, I just like to see what they will do..

It's a little upsetting that Jaguar won't run on a 604e (since I have just acquired a free copy). It sounds like no one has actually tried running X on an older dual processor machine however, so I guess I will try and get an older copy of X and see how that does.

-Jason

booboo · Nov 3, 2002, 06:20 AM

Originally posted by jasonyates:

...It sounds like no one has actually tried running X on an older dual processor machine however, so I guess I will try and get an older copy of X and see how that does.

-Jason

Do report back and let us know how it goes....

OreoCookie · Nov 3, 2002, 07:26 AM

Originally posted by Drizzt:

It could make a nice <put in name> server...

My girlfriend gets a new iBook, so I will get her old PC (PII-300) and use it as a server.

I will install FreeBSD on it.

If you really want a server, install Linux or FreeBSD on it.

But I can see your point. OS X is really fast as long as the GUI is inactive. So I'd probably give it a shot, too.

Drizzt · Nov 3, 2002, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by OreoCookie:

My girlfriend gets a new iBook, so I will get her old PC (PII-300) and use it as a server.

I will install FreeBSD on it.

If you really want a server, install Linux or FreeBSD on it.

But I can see your point. OS X is really fast as long as the GUI is inactive. So I'd probably give it a shot, too.

I have a Piece of Crap.. armh.. PC.. under Linux as Server..

as soon as the hardware dies, I'm getting something under MacOS X Server